Seismic safety valve and valve actuator

• US 20060278269A1
• Filed: 05/22/2006
• Published: 12/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fabian E. Padilla
• Original Assignee: James C. Mcgill
• Inventors: McGill, James C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,814,924 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 137/38
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 17/36 actuated in consequence of extraneous circumstances, e.g. shock, change of position
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/465 by flexible transmission means, e.g. cable, chain, bowden wire
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0753 Control by change of position or inertia of system
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0777 With second control

Abstract

A safety valve is positioned in supply plumbing that supplies a fluid medium such as natural gas to a point of use structure such as a home. A mechanical actuator is provided remote from the safety valve but mechanically connected to the safety valve. This allows the actuator to be positioned, for example, directly on the point of use structure, avoiding the need for separate bracing for the valve. The valve can be provided with a tee fitting or can be a separate gate valve. The mechanical actuator can be actuated by seismic disturbance, manually, or by activation by remote sensor or home security system.

Claims

1. A valve arrangement comprising:

a safety valve located in supply plumbing for supplying a fluid medium to a point of use structure; and

a mechanical actuator to actuate said safety valve, said mechanical actuator being mechanically connected to said safety valve and located remotely from said safety valve.

2. The valve arrangement of claim 1, wherein said mechanical actuator is adapted to be fixed to the point of use structure.

3. The valve arrangement of claim 2, wherein said mechanical actuator is connected to said safety valve by a flexible cable.

4. The valve arrangement of claim 1, wherein said mechanical actuator is connected to said safety valve by a flexible cable.

5. The valve arrangement of claim 4, wherein said safety valve is biased toward a closed position in which said supply plumbing is closed to flow of the fluid medium and held in an open position by said flexible cable.

6. The valve arrangement of claim 5, wherein said mechanical actuator holds said cable in a retracted position corresponding to said open position of said safety valve and can be actuated to release said cable such that said safety valve closes.

7. The valve arrangement of claim 1, wherein said supply plumbing comprises a tee and said safety valve is located in said tee.

8. The valve arrangement of claim 7, wherein said tee comprises three openings wherein said safety valve is mounted in one of said three openings and an inlet and an outlet are formed by the other two of said three openings.

9. The valve arrangement of claim 8, wherein said safety valve comprises a valve member held in an open position by said mechanical actuator and a spring biasing said valve member toward a closed position in which said outlet is closed off from fluid communication with said inlet.

10. The valve arrangement of claim 9, wherein said safety valve comprises a housing connected to said one of said three openings, said valve member being mounted at an interior end of said housing and said spring being housed withing said housing, and said mechanical actuator is connected to said valve member by a flexible cable.

11. The valve arrangement of claim 1, wherein said supply plumbing comprises two supply pipes and said safety valve comprises a gate valve mounted between said supply pipes.

12. The valve arrangement of claim 11, wherein said safety valve comprises a gate valve housing mounted between said two supply pipes and a gate mounted in said gate valve housing and held in an open position by said mechanical actuator and a spring biasing said gate toward a closed position in which said two supply pipes are closed off from each other.

13. The valve arrangement of claim 12, wherein said gate valve housing has an inner seal and an outer seal mounted therein and surrounding a fluid flow passage and said gate is slidable between said inner seal and said outer seal to a position in which said gate closes said fluid flow passage in said closed position.

14. The valve arrangement of claim 12, wherein said gate valve housing is connected to said two supply pipes by respective connection arrangements, wherein at least one of said connection arrangements comprises a union nut threaded to said gate valve housing, an insert engaging said union nut and threads on one of said two supply pipes engaging with said insert.

15. The valve arrangement of claim 14, wherein said union nut is threaded to said gate valve housing at a gate valve housing side thereof and has a flange engaging an insert flange on said insert on a supply pipe side of said union nut, and said insert is threaded to said threads of the one of said two supply pipes on a gate valve housing side of said insert, in order to minimize the space between an end of the one of said two supply pipes and said gate valve housing.

16. The valve arrangement of claim 4, wherein said mechanical actuator comprises a cable holder operable to hold said flexible cable in a valve open position and a cable release mechanism operable to release said cable holder from holding said flexible cable in the valve open position to allow said safety valve to close.

17. The valve arrangement of claim 16, wherein said safety valve comprises a valve member that has a bias toward a closed position said valve member is held in an open position against the bias by said flexible cable being held in the valve open position.

18. The valve arrangement of claim 17, wherein said cable holder comprises a movable member that is held by a detent to hold said flexible cable in the valve open position and said cable release mechanism is operable to release said movable member from being held by said detent.

19. The valve arrangement of claim 18, wherein said detent comprises a detent member held in place by a lever to hold said movable member and said cable release mechanism comprises a releasable latch operable to hold said lever in place to hold said movable member and to release said lever.

20. The valve arrangement of claim 19, wherein said cable release mechanism further comprises a sensor and a latch release that is operable to release said latch in response to activation of said sensor.

21. The valve arrangement of claim 20, wherein said cable release mechanism further comprises a manual off trigger that is manually operable to release said latch and close said safety valve.

22. The valve arrangement of claim 21, wherein said manual trigger is connected with a solenoid coil so as to be remotely operable in response to electronic signals.

23. The valve arrangement of claim 20, wherein said sensor comprises a ball movable in response to seismic activity and wherein a flapper is activated in response to movement of said ball to engage and release said latch.

24. The valve arrangement of claim 23, wherein said movable member comprises a cam member that engages and resets said flapper and said ball upon movement of said movable member after being released from being held by said detent.

25. The valve arrangement of claim 19, wherein said detent member comprises a locking lever that engages with a locking surface of a housing of said mechanical actuator.

26. The valve arrangement of claim 19, wherein said detent member a protrusion on said lever that engages with a locking surface of a housing of said mechanical actuator.

28. The valve arrangement of claim 18, wherein said mechanical actuator comprises a reset handle connected with said movable member operable to reset said movable member to be held by said detent, thus pulling said valve member against its bias with said flexible cable to the valve open position.

29. The valve arrangement of claim 28, wherein said movable member is a rotatable hub and said reset handle is connected with said hub.

30. The valve arrangement of claim 29, wherein said reset handle has one of an off indicator and an on indicator thereon, is rotatable with said hub and covers the other of the off indicator and the on indicator in one of the closed position and the open position of the valve member.

27. The valve arrangement of clam 19, wherein said detent member comprises a ball held in place by said lever to hold said movable member by engagement with a fixed part of said mechanical actuator.

31-65. -65. (canceled)